Anna Lindén scratched- not up on the official tracker but she posted on Instagram. I quote…
" scratched the Transcontinental Race.
I reached CP1 within 12 minutes of the cutoff so proud - I had lost my wallet in Chiavenna and my phone wasn't working. I pushed and pushed into the dark towards Livigno and suddenly some riders showed up and told me it was one more switchback and then downhill to the CP. We all made it, freezing from flying down the sepentines.
Then I took on the Stelvio. Sorry Stelvio you weren't worth it, too long and too many cars.
The valley ride after Stelvio to Bolzano was amazing among the orchards. I pushed on 50 km after Bolzano and had to bivvy quickly on a playground, under a picknick table, to escape the rain, along with two other riders. Had covered enough km to reach CP2 the day after.
Half way into it, my Wahoo took my route off it's menu. My phone was dead and I had to ask a hotel for a paper map. In Kranjska Gora I took the wrong climb.
I knew there would be a climb and thought it was It. Rain came as I took on the 9 km up into Triglovits national park. I powered on, dedicated to reach CP2. It rained and I stopped at the top to bivvy under a small table to escape the rain.
I went down in the morning, slowly on the wet tarmac, and realized my mistake at the sign of Bovec. Oh no. Sat down by the shining blue Soca river and put all my sleeping kit out to dry. Had some breakfast and met some gorgeous van life people.
Climbed and pushed my bike up again. My knees were hurting quite badly and I couldn't trust my Wahoo and when I had spent hours of faffing to find the way to CP2, I got a double puncture on a gravel path and realized my back skewer was broke and rode to the nearest town and that was it.
When my navigation tech wasn't working and my knees were screaming, I had to call it a day.
I had a beer. I called my boyfriend. I took a hotel. I started dreaming of the Slovenian Adriatic coast.
Thank you all at @thetranscontinental for an amazing experience and for looking after all the little dots so carefully.
This race is so much more than the actual pedaling, even though pedaling is what it all comes down to.
And don't worry - I'll be back for my revenge."
